Sweden today nominated Cecilia Malmstrom, minister for European Affairs, as a member of the next European Commission, dpa quoted Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt as saying. Malmstron was a "convinced European" and had "solid knowledge" of the EU, Reinfeldt told reporters. "We want an influential portfolio, including legislative affairs," Reinfeldt said, but ruled out Malmstrom - or "a Swede" as a candidate for the new post of foreign-policy chief set up under the Lisbon Treaty. That in effect confirmed that Foreign Minister Carl Bildt was not in the running for the incoming commission as had been speculated earlier. Reinfeldt said he had discussed Malmtrom"s nomination with the opposition and Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission. "The big challenges facing Europe, climate change and cross-border crime, could only be solved with a strong EU," Malmstrom said. Malmstrom belongs to the Liberal Party, junior member in Reinfeldt"s centre-right coalition that took office in 2006. Before joining the government, Malmstrom was a member of the European Parliament for seven years. The 41-year-old mother of two has a PhD in political science at the Department of Political Science at the Unviesrity of Gothenburg. Sweden"s two previous commissioners were women and Social Democrats. Outgoing Margot Wallstrom has for the past five years been Commissioner for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy, and was Environment Commissioner from 1999 until 2004. In 1995, Anita Gradin was the first Swedish national to serve in the executive.
